There are as many types of employers out there as types of projects. If you learn how to succeed with any employer, you’ll be on your way to a more lucrative freelancing career!

Here are five types of employers you may come across on Freelancer.com:

1. The first time users

We have a lot of new users on our site, and while they are still learning about all of our features, they may do things like:

Post a project with incomplete details

If they do not put many details on their project, you can use your proposal to ask any clarifying questions. When the employer begins a chat with you, you can discuss any missing details. Once your conversation is done, update your bid as needed to reflect the true requirements of the project.

Be unaware of how to create a milestone

New users on the site might not know yet that they have to create a milestone before you can begin working on their projects. If this is the case, politely explain to them that they must create a milestone first before work begins. Inform them that they can only release the Milestone Payment at the end of the project when they are happy with the output. Refer them to this page if they need more information.

Accidentally release a Milestone Payment before your work begins

Return the money back to them and explain that they only need to create the milestone, not release it. Again, you can direct them to this page for further details about Milestone Payments and how to work with them.

Award the project before they’ve actually spoken with you

Don’t immediately accept the project. Chat with the employer then make sure that you are interested in the project and that you can deliver. If this is the case and the employer is happy to proceed and work with you, you can accept the project and guide the employer through milestone creation.

2. Employers who are unsure of what they want

It’s quite common for employers who are non-technical to be posting projects that require technical skills. They could be new to hiring freelancers to work on such projects and be unsure in how to progress with it.

To help them out, explain exactly what you can help them with and what they need to get done before you begin (or after your job is finished). Let them know as much as you can about how their project will work, so they understand exactly what your part is in their project.

Always make sure any help you are giving them is honest and useful -- you don’t know who else might be giving them advice!

3. Employers who take a while to respond

If you have been awarded a project and the employer is not responding to you quickly, try connecting with the employer through chat on Freelancer.com. Try to leave one message every day for two to three consecutive days. If you still don’t receive a response, give them some time.

If you haven’t begun any work, cancel the milestone and write the employer a message saying you’ve returned the milestone back to them. Add that you will discontinue working on the project until they contact you with advice on how to proceed.

If you have done some work, you can dispute the milestone. This should really be the last resort, as it is always better to try and resolve things through communication.

4. Employers who speak a different language

If you are having trouble speaking to employers in a common language, our suggestion is to use Google Translate. It will translate every word literally, but might not always give the meaning you’d like to convey. Just tell your employers that you are using an online translator, so that if there are any mistranslations they will understand the issue.

5. Employers who know exactly what they want

This is a great kind of employer to have! Employers who are sure of what they want to achieve have full knowledge about their project, what needs to be done, the timeline, and the process of completing the tasks.

If these employers are not flexible with their requirements or they asked for something that’s not feasible with the budget, be honest about what you’re thinking as soon as possible. Doing so gives them a chance to amend their project requirements early on. It never pays to continue working on the projects only to tell the employers later that the final thing they requested can’t be done.

Hello!
My name is Amy and I manage the Preferred Freelancer Program!
If you are a Preferred Freelancer in need of some help or advice, or if you are a freelancer on our site who wishes to be part of our great program, send me a message and I'd be more than happy to help you out!